Story Time: Famous People You Found Yourself With

Capt MJ

Capt MJ

Serviam.
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Along the vein of the Everything Drawer, Cocktails, Bacon and other recreational threads, and inspired by @UHBlackhawk ‘s recent great story of being in a room with baseball legends and @Wishful on the same basketball court as Robert Duvall, share your moments of proximity to famous people. I am not including military people or politicians, because that came with the job many times, but you can include whoever you want.

Most of mine were as a kid:
- Touring the Capitol, in an elevator with an aunt, in steps Roger Mudd, a news anchor. Same visit, we were in a ladies’ restroom with a young Barbara Walters.
- In a Woolworth’s in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, buying sunscreen, and Liberace and two bodyguards came in. My Dad asked for an autograph for his little girl (me) and was told no. He had on a powder blue sport coat with sparkly lapels and white ankle boots. I was fascinated by his teeth.
- Walking the beach at Sea Island, GA, (my dad worked at the resort there) as a young teen, I came up to the foot showers on the grassy verge before heading up the steps to the Beach Club. A tall man and his wife came up to use the foot showers too. It was Jimmy Stewart and his wife.

As an adult, I was solo at a VVIP private reception for the annual big USO Gala fund-raiser in DC, representing one of the big sponsors. I was in line at the crowded bar, and the man in front of me turned around and asked what he could get for me. It was Chris Isaak. He later sang “Wicked Game” during the show. Oh my. At that same reception I was introduced to George Lopez, who also did a set.
- I’ve been around Gary Sinise at several military-related events. Love that guy and everything he has done for the military.
- During a tour in Pearl Harbor, DH, Tom Selleck and I were all waiting for the valets to bring our cars around outside a well-known steakhouse. He was very pleasant before jumping in his beat-up Jeep.


Oh, and I will never forget - the privilege of being one of 10 students in a creative writing seminar with Maya Angelou for an entire semester at Wake Forest University. I grew up a lot in that class. I can still close my eyes and hear that distinctive voice.
 
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President Bill Clinton held my 1 year old daughter at the state fair when he was president.

I was outside a theater in Philly when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton got out of a limo. They talked to me for a moment.

I had a cocktail hour and lunch with President G W Bush for four hours.
 
Flying Robin Williams in a UH-60.
Flying some of the Atlanta Falcons. They permitted my Guard unit to use the Falcon image on our unit patch and it was part of their training camp for us to fly around their rookies.
Flying around the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in a UH-60. I guess individually they aren’t famous.
Seeing Michael Wilbon walk by with his sons on a crowded street Hong Kong. My DW is a huge PTI fan and I thought for a moment about asking for a picture, but then thought the better of it. I figured he probably went to Hong Kong figuring no one there would know who he was.
I once did a side gig for the day and picked up Kelly Clarkson’s sister and nephews using Reba McEntire’s airplane. Great people. The kids were very polite. Met Kelly when she picked them up.
I’ve flown other celebrities with the airlines and we usually get a heads up that they are on board. But aside from checking in on them to make sure they are ok and, if they are political figures making sure they aren’t harassed we leave them alone.
But Jimmy Stewart? Cant beat that one.
 
While I was at USNA, Ross Perot visited and ate at my table. My first ship was commissioned by Bill Clinton and he mingled and socialized with the officers for a few hours. Hillary was there too but did not socialize with us and kept with her assistant. We did Sea Trials with Admiral Rickover aboard and I interacted with him. A few weeks earlier, during INSURV, I accompanied RADM Bulkeley, Medal of Honor Recipient from Corregidor as he spent an hour or so inspecting my spaces and gear. I also got a SEVERE ass-chewing from him over one discrepancy and still have scars from it. Met many rising politicians and media folks while off the coast of Beirut as many came and went from the scene via my ship. Wolf Blitzer spent about a week with us. First met John McCain when I was an Ens and he was a Capt. Hung out with him in New Hampshire when he was campaigning and I was a resident and then our sons were at USNA at the same time and I got to spend more time with him at events.
 
My dad took me to Vegas to celebrate my 18th BD. We rode down in an elevator with Blood, Sweat & Tears. Had no clue until the doors opened at the lobby level and cameras went off. Meh.

DH and I sat on the Parent Advisory Council at our son's boarding school for three years with some Kennedys. Lovely people. Several of our son's lifelong friends from those days are the children of household names.

John Sununu, Jr., a Rothschild, and Alessandro Benetton (United Colors of Benetton, if you remember the retailer) were in my section at HBS. Alessandro was dating Carolyn Bessette (pre John Jr. obviously) at the time and she attended several of our parties.

DH sat next to Jose Feliciano on plane once. Chatted most of the way but didn’t learn who he was until the flight was almost over.

When our son was 12, he was flying back alone from a summer camp. When he got off the plane, he told us he talked to a cool guy next to him the whole flight and the guy gave him his business card. It was Ozzie Newsome’s, and Ozzie had written on it “Will be a President of the USA.” Our son framed it and has it on his wall.
 

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UHBlackhawk said:
Flying Robin Williams in a UH-60.
Flying some of the Atlanta Falcons. They permitted my Guard unit to use the Falcon image on our unit patch and it was part of their training camp for us to fly around their rookies.
Flying around the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in a UH-60. I guess individually they aren’t famous.
Seeing Michael Wilbon walk by with his sons on a crowded street Hong Kong. My DW is a huge PTI fan and I thought for a moment about asking for a picture, but then thought the better of it. I figured he probably went to Hong Kong figuring no one there would know who he was.
I once did a side gig for the day and picked up Kelly Clarkson’s sister and nephews using Reba McEntire’s airplane. Great people. The kids were very polite. Met Kelly when she picked them up.
I’ve flown other celebrities with the airlines and we usually get a heads up that they are on board. But aside from checking in on them to make sure they are ok and, if they are political figures making sure they aren’t harassed we leave them alone.
But Jimmy Stewart? Cant beat that one.
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My parents didn’t believe me until my dad did some discreet inquiries and found out they had rented a beach “cottage” (luxury beach villa) for a few weeks under an assumed name.
 
I was a facilitator of an industry forum. Andy Card was the Keynote (former Bush Chief of Staff & Sec. of Transportation). He spent a few minutes with me. Told me he was at KP but had to quit because he wanted to get married. I said, well you did just fine. He laughed. Did a nice talk about 911 when he told Bush about the airplane hitting the World Trade Towers. Mr. Card was easy to talk to. Very personable.
 
Capt MJ said:
My parents didn’t believe me until my dad did some discreet inquiries and found out they had rented a beach “cottage” (luxury beach villa) for a few weeks under an assumed name.
Click to expand...
I can understand the assumed name.
I played the part of a pilot in the movie "Forces of Nature". I'm not sure why they needed a pilot to play the part as we didn't really do any piloting stuff and I'm not sure you can see me (I never watched the movie).
During filming Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock came up to me and the other pilot and ate lunch with us. Again, no idea why us other than we were dressed as pilots. They were very nice, but it was impossible for us to just have a normal conversation as people kept coming up and interrupting Bullock and Affleck were very cordial and polite, but in a way I felt sorry for them. They just wanted to eat lunch and have a conversation but couldn't even do that without people wanting something from them. It made me understand that they probably don't even know who their real friends are.
After that I never envied a famous person and, if I see one, I've always tried to give them space.
 
Oh, I forgot. I was once again at Sea Island in the beach/pool area as a pre-teen, and I saw professional photographers doing a photo shoot with a woman in a very skimpy bikini. It was Julie Newmar during her “Catwoman” fame.
 
I got to perform with Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis when I was in my college big band, and sat next to Itzhak Perlman on a flight. I also chatted with Donald Trump at my goddaughter's wedding held at his Beminster, NJ golf club.

I also met Ted Nugent at an outdoor show. The funny thing is, I was talking to him for 10 mins before I even realized who he was.
 
I worked around the higher reaches of federal government for a short while — can you say “junior aide,” boys and girls? — so I’ll skip those political figures. The list is respectably long and decently distinguished.

As far as other celebrities (or as I consider many of them: those famous for being famous)...

I sat two rows behind Prince in business class, on a flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. He didn’t move an inch during the entire flight.

Rode alongside John Travolta and Mrs. Travolta on a cable car in San Francisco. He was way cool the entire time — no surprise.

Been in a business meeting with Richard Petty. Had my picture taken with Payton and Archie Manning.

Close and meaningful encounters — not just fly-bys — from a previous career: John Madden, Steve Young, Ozzie Smith, Danny Ainge.

As a kid just hanging around: Chris Mullin at the YMCA. John Elway at the movie theater.

I was with DD when she was an 8-year-old greeting then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney. I was with DS when he was a 13-year-old greeting Ted Cruz as he stepped out of the Senate chambers.

Attended the wedding of one of the key characters in the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War” (the actual person, not the actor who played him). Guy is little known in mainstream America but widely admired and respected in his line of work.

Living vicariously here: DW shook Pope John Paul II’s hand when she was in college.

I’m not much into celebrities these days, but one I’d love to meet: Jake from State Farm. Seems like a good dude.
 
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I forgot ... I was having dinner in Binghamton with my father and my twin brother at a steak place. I got there early and had a beer with my wife. The table was ready before they got there ... so they escorted me to the dining room.

Billy Martin has a cowboy hat on and walked out. Made eye contact with me and said hello to me walking out.

Pissed me brother off that he missed him - he was a huge Yankee fan.

Billy passed a week later in a car accident.
 
Tom Selleck as well. Watched a scene being filmed on Hotel Street and was close to the roped off area.

Was waiting to board a plane in Atlanta and Adm Grace Hopper walked off the plane. At a different time same scenario James Brown walked off the plane.

Two separate occasions while waiting at ortho with my daughter at what is now Walter Reed, John Glenn was met by an HM2 to be escorted to his appointment. A few days later we there again for a follow up but the senator didn’t show up.

Cowboys cheerleaders in the Indian Ocean.

Four corpsmen MOH recipients when they visited BUMED. I can’t remember what event had them there at the same time. I met Bob Ingram at a conference shortly after he was awarded for action in Vietnam.

Rob Riggle was our PAO on a deployment to Africa.

Ken Alibek and Bill Patrick (bioweaponeers) lectured on the same day at one of my biological casualties courses. I shared a bag of jelly beans with Dr. Alibek before he took the mic. I got his book Biohazard autographed.

Took my kids to see the Braves in mid 90s at Atlanta stadium. Javy Lopez was signing autographs at the top step of the dugout. My daughter said, Hey Javy, and tossed a baseball to him. Error on Lopez. It popped him in the left cheek. He picked it up and signed it and tossed it back laughing. Three or four years ago he played in an old timers game and my daughter and a couple friends went. She took the ball hoping to speak with him. She came back with a photo of Javy in the middle with his arms around all three. He held no grudge from her beaning him.

My son got a pic of Scarlett Johansson with his arm around her. He was in the ME and his girlfriend gave him a long distance chewing out. They are no longer together.
 
Since I worked in Business managment industry as a CPA, i have met tons of celebrities when they would come to our office. Plus living in Los Angeles, you see many of them also. I was in line in the supermarket and behind me was Jay Leno talking to everyone. Jonathan Winters came to our offices and the man was always on making jokes and trying to be funny with whoever he was with (and he was funny) . The one celebrity who just made everyone crazy was this actress named Meilani Paul. At the time she was famous for being one of the Pepsi Uh Huh Girl who were the backup singer for Ray Charles in the Super Bowl Commerical. She was also married to Adrian Paul who was the main actor in the Highlander TV series. Anyway, she was stunning and there was something about her that made all the guys crazy. We would work with one of the major brokerage houses, Bear Stearns (who went under in the 2008 crash) who would invest our clients money, and he would always tell us to let him know when they were coming in so that he could get involved in the meeting (legimitately). He also just wanted to see her. I was called into the meeting for a couple of minutes and I dont know, but between her looks, personality and the perfume she was wearing, by the time i left the office I seriously couldnt think straight. She had this effect on all the people in the meeting. I look at her pictures now and she is pretty but nothing to write home about but something about her in real life was amazing (at least 25 year ago).
 
Growing up Nashville, Country Stars of the day and their kids were a constant in our lives. It was a much smaller city at that time. I drove Mrs. cb7893 crazy watching Ken Burns' Country Music. Every 5 minutes of the 1950's, 60's and 70's I would say things like, "I went to school with her sons" "We both graduated from the same high school and college", or "My father took out his appendix".

On that last note, in the mid 1940's, my father was called on an emergency to the home of Hank Williams Sr. He was "unresponsive". My father was met at the door by a middle aged lady, who was well-mannered, polite and decidedly country. It was HW's mother. She had come to Nashville by bus to see her son, who was supposed to pick her up at the bus station. He never showed. She took a cab to his house and found him in his current state. Hence the call. My father grew up on the edge, fatherless in the land of the Scopes Monkey Trial. He would never refer to "White Trash", but how else would one refer to someone who treated his mother that way.

On a happier note. I worked on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. Mikhail Gorbachev was in town and came to visit the CBOT grain floor, where I worked. There was a crowd around him, but he made it to the edge of one of the pits and started shaking hands. The edges were populated by runners and clerks, while the brokers and traders, who didn't stop what they were doing were in the center. When he came up to one of the runners for my firm, the runner shook Gorbachev's hand and with a friendly smile said, "Get Moose and Squirrel." (Google Boris Badenov) Gorbachev returned the smile and moved on.
 
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